Khulubuse Zuma loses aurora court bid

An urgent application by Khulubuse Zuma to have claims of over R1.5 billion against Aurora Empowerment Systems set aside, was dismissed by the High Court.

An urgent application by Khulubuse Zuma to have claims of over R1.5 billion against Aurora Empowerment Systems set aside, was dismissed by the High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday.

"The application is dismissed with costs," Judge Eberhardt Bertelsmann said.

Zuma's interests were not directly affected, he said.

The former Aurora director's spokesman, Vuyo Mkhize, said he was disappointed and confused by the judgment.

"I'm confused at the apparent logic of the judgment," he said.

"But what you hear being read out and what you get to ascertain once you go through a judgment properly are two different things. So what we're going to do now is to go over the judgment to really see if we understand and agree with what it says."

He said suggestions that Zuma brought the application to delay an upcoming court case could only have been made by a "dishonest mind".

Aurora's liquidators want to go to court to hold the company's directors responsible after they allegedly stripped the assets of the liquidated Pamodzi Gold's mines in Springs, Gauteng, and Orkney, North West. The case is due to be heard on March 23.

Congress of SA Trade Unions general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, who attended Tuesday's court proceedings, said the victory was important for workers.

"We're very excited, we're thrilled by the decision by the high court," he said.

"The attempt to try and undo justice that is due to workers has been dismissed with cost by the court because there is no basis to it."

National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) Matlosana regional secretary Joseph Monisetse said he would inform workers of the outcome.

"I'm going to hold a mass meeting, because workers... are holding their breath to hear what is going to be the outcome of today."

The judgment had paved the way for their "victory" in the following case, he said.

"We're prepared to see that the outcome will be positive so that workers who have been suffering from almost five years now can receive their dues which are held by Aurora."

In 2009, Aurora was appointed by liquidators to manage Pamodzi's mines in Springs and Orkney after the company went bankrupt.

However, Aurora allegedly stripped the mines of infrastructure and left hundreds of employees without pay and surviving on handouts.

Source : Sapa

August 2017

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